Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Emperor's Code (The 39 Clues) by Gordon Korman

The hunt for the 39 Clues is coming down towards the end for Dan and Amy Cahill. Gordon Korman tells the story of their hunt in China in book eight in the juvenile series, The Emperor's Code.

It hasn't been easy for Dan and Amy to travel around the world on a mad chase for power and the 39 Clues. They've been accompanied by their au pair, Nellie Gomez, and their cat, Saladin. Now, in China, while visiting the Forbidden City, they find a clue left by the last Emperor, Puyi. But, the two youngsters let their emotions get the best of them. During an argument about their parents, Dan runs away. Before getting far, he's kidnapped by one of the other families in the competition. It will take all of his ingenuity to escape, and then make his way to an unknown meeting place to find Amy.

Korman's addition to the 39 Clues series is a fast-paced, riveting one. With Dan and Amy on separate paths, the author has the opportunity to introduce readers to the Great Wall of China, the terracotta warriors, Mount Everest, and other points of Chinese history and geography. In this story, Dan's adventures are ones that boys will appreciate.

The next two books will bring this series to a close. The 39 Clues have been aimed at an audience of fourth grade and up as they introduce readers to history, geography and famous people. It's been a fun chase, and Korman's contribution, The Emperor's Code, won't disappoint any followers. It's one of the best in the series. The ninth book, Linda Sue Park's Storm Warning, has just been released. Let's hope she can keep up the pace.

About Me

I have been a library manager/administrator for over 30 years, in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and, now, Indiana. Winner of the 2011 Arizona Library Association Outstanding Library Service Award. I am a contributing Book Reviewer for Library Journal, Mystery Readers Journal, ReadertoReader.com and VibrantNation.com. Author of the "Mystery Fiction" chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (7th ed.) Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Spinetingler Awards for Best Reviewer.

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Review Policy

It's an honor to be asked to review books, and I'm grateful to all the publishers, publicists, and authors who send me books. Thank you. Reviews will appear on my blog if I've had a chance to read, and finish, the book. If I do not finish a book, I won't review it, and I will not respond to emails asking when, or if, I'll be reviewing a book.

My reviews are only my opinion, and do not reflect the views of the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library.

I will not review self-published books, and, at the present time, do not accept books in e-book format.

Disclosure of review copies

My Oct. 19, 2009 blog provides full disclosure that I only receive review copies of books, with no other compensation. All review copies are marked as such. If there any any questions, please feel free to contact me.

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